Diocletian, 284-305. Antoninianus (Silvered bronze, 24 mm, 3.95 g, 12 h), Rome, 290. IMP DIOCLE-TIANVS AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Diocletian to right, seen from behind. Rev. IOVI FVLGERATORI / XXIΓ Jupiter advancing left, head to right, hurling thunderbolt with his right hand; to left, eagle standing left, head right. Cohen 289. RIC 167. Very rare and unusually attractive for this issue. Tiny die breaks on the obverse, otherwise, about extremely fine.



IOVI FVLGERATORI literally means 'to Jupiter, the wielder of the thunderbolt.' The epithet casts Jupiter as the god of thunder and lightning, whose power - as Diocletian’s divince comes - is, of course, turned against the emperor’s enemies.